Tag: London

Review: Out of Sight Out of Mind by Evonne Wareham

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book cover

book cover

What the blurb says: “Madison Albi is a scientist with a very special talent – for reading minds. When she stumbles across a homeless man with whom she feels an inexplicable connection, she can’t resist the dangerous impulse to use her skills to help him.

J is a non-person – a vagrant who can’t even remember his own name. He’s got no hope, until he meets Madison. Is she the one woman who can restore his past?

Madison agrees to help J recover his memory, but as she delves deeper into his mind, it soon becomes clear that some secrets are better off staying hidden. “

Out of Sight Out of Mind might not be my usual type of read, but I found it really enjoyable.

It doesn’t fit neatly into a sub-genre bracket but, if you wanted to categorise it, I think it would be as romantic suspense with a dash of science fiction.

Told through the point-of-views of Madison, J and the shadowy people at ‘The Organization’, the reader is able to piece together information, alert to the increasing danger that Madison and J are unaware of until much later in the story. This adds an extra level of danger, up-ing the stakes, and keeping the reader on their edge of their seat, hoping that Madison will find out who, or what’s, behind J’s memory loss before it’s too late.

The main suspense in the story comes from the question: who is J? A mysterious (and rather sexy) character, he has no memory of his past, but he can remember how to navigate through London. When Madison tries to help him by reading his mind she encounters a wall that she’s unable to see through. As a research scientist at the top of her game, she throws all she’s got into the challenge of finding out just who J is.

As the relationship between Madison and J develops the reader gets to discover more about Madison’s past, and details about J’s life as he begins to remember things. There’s a lot of sexual tension between the two characters. The ‘will they, won’t they?’ question hangs over them for a large portion of the book as they both resist the attraction they feel for each other. This kept me hooked into the story, but I did, at times, want to scream at Madison to just kiss him and get on with it!

As Madison tries increasingly risky and unproven memory experiments, she manages to get past the wall and discover J’s sinister past. And that’s when the danger really escalates. After a gradual build in tension during the first two-thirds of the book, the final third races along to the action-packed finale.

My verdict: even if science fiction isn’t usually your thing, don’t let it put you off – this is a classy romantic suspense novel that’s definitely worth a read.

[My review copy of this novel was provided by Choc Lit publishers]

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Review: Retribution by Adrian Magson

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cover image

cover image

What the blurb says: “An atrocity that allegedly took place under Harry’s watch in Kosovo in 1999 returns to haunt him when he receives a summons from an old UN contact. A lone assassin is tracking down all those who were present that fateful night, despatching his victims with cold, skilful efficiency. Who is he and why does he want revenge? If he is to uncover the identity of this ruthless killer and stay alive in the process, Harry must uncover what really happened in Mirovica back in 1999.”

I love a good action thriller and this novel doesn’t disappoint.

Harry Tate, an ex-M15 hunter now working in the private sector, doesn’t hang around. He’s a dynamic character, utterly focused on getting the job done, and with a strong moral compass. Hired to stop a potential terrorist plot and find the lone assassin picking off all those present at a UN compound on a specific night in 1999, Harry’s moral code is challenged when he discovers the horror of the crime the assassin is avenging. Pragmatic and logical, but prepared to do what’s necessary for justice, Harry is faced with a difficult dilemma.

What I especially like about this story is that Magson creates an utterly ruthless assassin, known as Kassim, yet although he commits a series of murders across the timeline of the novel, as a reader I found him both chilling and empathetic. That said, whilst Kassim certainly racks up the highest body count, the true title of ‘villain’ for this story really rests with another character (which I won’t name or it will spoil the story for you).

From London, across Europe and over to the States, Harry follows the clues, and the bodies. With the tension tightening notch by notch through each chapter, by the time you’re heading for the end the pace is breathlessly rapid and, as a reader, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

A joy to read.

Highly Recommended.

 

A wonderful launch: C&R Crime

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C&R Crime launch

C&R Crime launch

 

Wonderful publishers Constable & Robinson launched their new consolidated crime imprint C&R CRIME on the 28th February.

I was really excited to be invited to the launch party, held at the fabulous location ‘The Crypt’ just off Trafalgar Square, London. It was a fabulous evening with loads of authors, the C&R Crime team, book bloggers and reviewers all mingling and chatting.

M.C. Beaton gave a speech in honour of the occasion, and it was revealed that she is just about to have her 106th novel published – a simply amazing feat.

C&R Crime have got some great books out at the moment including The Poacher’s Son by Paul Doiron (reviewed on this blog in February) and The Circus by James Craig (which I’m currently reading).

I’m also really looking forward to Quentin Bates’ new novel that’s coming out in April.

 

To find out more about C&R Crime head over to their website at http://www.crcrime.co.uk/

Events Alert: Murder in the (British) Library

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Pulp Fiction - BW

Pulp Fiction – BW (Photo credit: Mark Coggins)

If you’re a crime fiction enthusiast like me then you might want to check out the ‘Murder in the Library: An A-Z of Crime Fiction’.

Installed at the British Library, London, this free exhibition is sponsored by The Folio Society.

It showcases the genre’s development from the early 19th century up to the present day, and will be open up to 12th May 2013.

For more information check out the British Library website at: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/murder/index.html

Maybe I’ll see you there …

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Just finished reading: The Calling (a John Luther novel) by Neil Cross

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What the blurb says: “Meet Detective Inspector John Luther. He’s brilliant; he’s intense. He’s obsessional. He’s dangerous.

John Luther has an extraordinary clearance rate. He commands outstanding loyalty. And yet he seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things he shouldn’t; things way beyond the limits of the law.

This is the story of the case that tore Luther’s personal and professional relationships apart and propelled him over the precipice. Beyond fury, beyond vegeance. All the way to murder.”

I’m a big fan of the BBC series LUTHER (in which Idris Elba plays the title role) and couldn’t wait to read this book, the first novel in the John Luther series written by the show’s creator and writer Neil Cross.

Like the series, it’s a gritty and often shockingly brutal glimpse into the work of Detective Inspector John Luther. Rather than continue from the end of the second series, it takes the reader back to the time just before the first series begin and follows John as he works the case of the horrific murder of a man and his pregnant wife in their London home. As Luther and the killer become entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Luther’s relationship with Zoe, his wife, begins to unravel. It’s a story that, just like its main character, is as intense as it is compelling.

If you’re a fan of the TV series, or a fan of gritty police procedurals, then this book is well worth a read.

 

Daily Ponder: Book spotting on the Train

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Kindle

Kindle (Photo credit: Simply Bike)

In just a few hours I’ll be heading up to London for the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) hosted panel discussion “Is crime the new literary fiction?” that’s being held at Kings Place.

One of the things I always like to do on the train ride to London and back (and on the tube) is to check out the books my fellow travelers are reading. Are they crime thrillers, romance, science fiction, fantasy, historical or something else? And, more importantly, have I read them, and do they look like the type of thing I’d like to read.

I’ve even had quite a few bookish conversations with fellow commuters, and got some excellent recommendations from them. But, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be. That’s because of eReaders. I just can’t (or not as secretly) take a sneaky peep at the cover of the book being read. Although, that said, if I’m standing on the train, and someone sitting nearby is reading on an eReader (especially if the font size is set to large) it is possible.

But, not to be deterred (and, of course, being of a rather nosy disposition!) I’ll be book spotting on the train as I travel.

I wonder what crime thriller books I’ll glimpse today …

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Events: Is Crime the new Literary Fiction

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How to get to Kings Place, London

How to get to Kings Place, London

Do you love crime fiction?

If so, this event could be for you. On 12th November 2012 the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) are hosting a panel discussion on the topic “Is crime the new literary fiction?”

Chaired by Mark Lawson, the panel will be made up of best-selling crime thriller writers: Lee Child, Sophie Hannah, Peter James and John Banville.

It sounds like it’ll be a lively and entertaining debate.

For more information, and to book tickets, visit the Kings Place website at: http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on-book-tickets/spoken-word/is-crime-the-new-literary-fiction

It’s in my diary and I can’t wait!

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Finding Sherlock in the Maze

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the book maze

For me there’s something wonderful about the physicality of a paper book.

Perhaps it’s because of fond memories of childhood Christmas’ and treasured hardbacks given as gifts. Or perhaps it’s because from the moment I could read a book I’ve always had at least one on the go at any time. I just can’t imagine not having a current book (and a long list of ‘to reads’).

So, that said, you can imagine how excited I was to visit the book maze installation at Royal Festival Hall, London, a couple of weeks ago.

The maze was made up of Braille books and second-hand paperbacks and hardbacks of all genres from crime to self-help via chick lit, academic textbooks and romance – to name a few!

As I navigated the passages between the walls of books, I spotted novels by authors I love and authors I’d love to read.  In fact, I could have read them right there because the maze was designed to be interactive: see a book that interests you, pick it up and start reading … wonderful.

When finally, after flicking through many books along the way, I reached the end I was delighted to find stories about one of my favourite characters, written by the author that first got me interested in the crime thriller genre, displayed on the final twist of the book wall. It was a hardback copy of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Study in Scarlet and Hound of the Baskervilles.

And so, in the end (and the beginning for me) there was Sherlock.

Sherlock in the maze

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